The Power of Public-Private Partnerships in Sustainability

The renowned “Three P’s” – people, planet, and profit – have long been a cornerstone of sustainability. Yet, for public entities, this principle sometimes falls short.

Increasingly, businesses are being held to higher standards around their sustainability practices. Often this is even more true for public entities who directly serve the people. However, sustainability usually means costly upgrades that can be hard to fit within budget. In order to truly elevate their communities and achieve ambitious sustainability targets, these entities must embrace a refined approach. This one centered around a different set of “Three P’s” – Public-Private Partnerships.

At New Columbia Solar, we help public entities and non-profits harness the power of the sun to lower their electric bills or completely offset the capital expenditure, while also helping attain carbon neutrality. This is one fantastic example of public-private partnerships helping to secure sustainability goals.

With a background rooted in environmental non-profit and local government sectors, I’ve witnessed firsthand the pressing need at these organizations for capital. Capital is an essential yet often scarce resource, and where public-private partnerships emerge as an essential solution. They offer an avenue to attain significant sustainability milestones without imposing additional financial strains on taxpayers.

Our public-private partnership solution provides rooftop, parking canopy, and ground mounted solar whereby New Columbia Solar provides a total offset of the capital expenditure or reduce cost of electricity benefits to its partners. Moreover, this advantage accelerates our partner’s journey towards achieving carbon neutrality while sharing in the financial benefits of the renewable transition.

New Columbia Solar is at the forefront of this transformative journey. We offer tailored solutions specifically designed for non-profits and government buildings:

• Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): A strategic approach that guarantees savings on electricity expenses by securing rates below retail pricing. Hence, this is an ideal fit for high consumption infrastructures like schools and administrative buildings.
• Community Solar Leases: This innovative model enables public entities to offset the entire capital expenditure by hosting solar facilities on their rooftops, parking space, or land. The generated energy is then fed back into the grid, supporting initiatives like Solar for All that empower low- to moderate-income households to join the green energy revolution while simultaneously reducing their electricity costs.
• Cash Sale: Owning the system outright gives public entities full claim over the cost saving and environmental attributes of the solar facility. In this arrangement, New Columbia engineers, procures, and constructs the system.

Together, we are not just redefining sustainability; we are building empowered communities anchored in innovation, inclusivity, and prosperity.

NCS is able to provide solar as a market based solution for non-profits, housing authorities, schools, and local governments with no upfront capital required. This frees up funds for purpose driven work, so you can stop fretting over energy costs and fighting with utilities. We are excited to be the private partner that helps you reach your goals.